Foraging in Spring

 This time last year I was visiting the Rialto Market in Venice.  I took a picture of something on sale in the market called 'Bruscandoli'  it wasn't until I came home and did some research that I found out that this is a Venetian speciality.   It is in fact,  hop shoots.  The tip of the growing hop vines in Spring are cut off, steamed and served either in butter, or perhaps in a rizotto.

So this is the time of year when I will be putting it to the test.  It has been such a hard, cold Spring here, but at the first opportunity I think I'll give it a go.